Temperature Sensors

Resistance Temperature Detector (RTD) with Accuracy Class A’ 1/3 DIN and 1/10 DIN
An RTD consists of a film or, for greater accuracy, a wire wrapped around a ceramic or glass core. The most accurate RTDs are made using platinum but lower cost RTDs can be made from nickel or copper. Platinum RTDs offer a fairly linear output that is highly accurate (0.1 to 1 °C) across -200 to 600 °C. While providing the greatest accuracy, RTDs also tend to be the most expensive of temperature sensors.

Thermocouples, J,K,T,B,R,S Type
This temperature sensor type consists of two wires of different metals connected at two points. The varying voltage between these two points reflects proportional changes in temperature. Thermocouples are non-linear, requiring conversion when used for temperature control and compensation, typically accomplished using a lookup table. Accuracy is low, from 0.5 to 5 °C. However, they operate across the widest temperature range, from -200 to 1750 °C.